No matter how appealing tattoos are for some people, having one on the face always ignites debates.
Oriini Kaipara, aged 41, broke new ground as a television personality, achieving a historic milestone by becoming the inaugural primetime TV news bulletin presenter with a moko kauae, a highly respected cultural tattoo traditionally worn by Māori women, upon joining New Zealand’s Newshub as a newsreader.
Moko kauae, or sacred female chin tattoo, is a cultural and spiritual expression of Māori identity and an assertion of political, cultural, social and spiritual aspirations as whānau, as hapū, as iwi, as Māori. These facial tattoos, traditionally adorned on the lips and chin, symbolize a woman’s family ties, her role as a leader within her community, and serve as a tribute to her ancestry, position, and abilities.
Besides all this, a viewer signed as David sent an e-mail to Newshub describing his discontent with the presenter’s tattoo.
